the Cynon Valley has been elected president of South Wales NUM, with a 20 per cent victory over Terry Thomas. There was a 70 per cent turnout in the ballot at the start of December.
Ian Isaacs, secretary of Toms oranda Militant supporter polled 2000 votes the first Callpaign was portrayed in the press as a South closures Dutfield's she said. unat the direction LaNC the that pit ClOSures. that Des than the TOT Howells wants to SuD• posed who of They night Neil welcoming as a 'personal that what was. Dutfield is a former president the who lost the post tollowing ine tallure or tue campaign against the closure of Ty-Mawrend or 1983. He led a stay ewis-verlavi down protest against the Jane succccucu winning the support of the South Wales coalfield, but national strike ballot failed to back Slip of the tongue or Wales NUM and well-known advocate of the return to work, appeared on Newsnight recently along with a representative of the UDM. Asked about support for the breakaway in South Wales, coated and out their case'. Speaking at a Yorkshire rally the following day, Arthur Scargill had this to say in reply: 'The advent of breakaway non-unionism means that every pit in their area is more vulnerable than would have been the case with one single National Union of Mineworkers. I hope that was a slip of the tongue last night.
Wales who made a suggestion that representatives of the breakaway could go into WHEWORKCN tried to treat this union with, in barring NUM officials from colliery welfares in Nottinghamshire and South Derbyshire.
the offensive. We can win all the membership hack into the national union. We can save the pits that are being threatened.
the campaign.
Throughout the 1984-5 miners' strike Des Duttield was one of the minority of South Wales executive members who opposed the area executive's policy and of the work.
Tyrone O'Sullivan, secretary of Tower Lodge NUM. "The best man for the job Des Dutfield was ciccicu has experience strength that has been proved over the past 10 years The TOSTIL represented an antiestablishment vote. The the Pon typridd area office played a major part in Des's elec'Since the end of the trike, rank and file South Wales miners have felt dirty. On demonstrations our banners have been booed because South led the return to work. People wanted somebody they felt they L1 USL. voted for Des Dutfield.' moved CIOSC down South ; pits, with little organised opDOS LIOn. Dutfield's election is seen as a rebuff for thales leader shipan fa cal policies of the South for an active campaign against the Coal Board's DOlICIes Dutfield has also op. posed the executive's support for Neil Kinnock, and their public criticism Scargill's leadership of the He faces a formidable task milori to the or on the executive - 1O union s confidence fight the Coal Board's closure policy.
KIM HOWELLS, research officer for the South Howells invited them to come to the 'I want to say to my colleague from South South Wales to argue their case: they should tell those people to keep out of the National Union keep out of our areas! We should treat them with the contempt that they've «It is time that this union once acain went on We can improve the wages and conditions of those we represent.' South Wales miners on the march the gut loyally. the membership help remedy this, , the union is information into hands working hard to basic of the membership, mak ing use notice and short pamboarus time, however by Shrera, at sin • Shirebrook, that is in short supply:
Dave believes that the NUM national executive the •ecsol lo alice lu Board's imposition of new production incentive scheme will neil to bus that time. It will allow the NUM to take away the UD's one real weapon their ability to secure a pay increase, however at a time when the NUMS talks WelC deadlocked U.N
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strike the and and bee ruth Wales